The big fights just keep coming, this Saturday Kell Brook gets home town support with a 25,000 plus expected crowd at Sheffield’s Bramall lane football ground. And it’s a mouthwatering clash between IBF welterweight champion Brook and his number one contender the impressive and undefeated Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr.
Questions will be asked of the champion who was last seen in September fighting at middleweight against Gennady Golovkin the sports pound for pound king, no shame in being pulled out early by his corner in the 5th round with a busted eye socket and a big fat cheque for his trouble. But it’s straight into the lions den again here for Brook with a slick and hard punching challenger who has stopped 18 of his 21 opponents thus far and yet to go the 12 round championship distance.
Obviously one wonders how much desire does the 31-year old Brook has left? It’s almost three years since his terrific win over Shawn Porter travelling to the US to pull off a massive win on foreign soil to clinch the coveted IBF title. Then quickly from dizzy heights to disaster as he was attacked with a machete and almost lost a leg holidaying on the island of Tenerife.
Brook showed remarkable durability and mental strength to come back from that to defend his title 3 times with a new found conviction before being dangled a golden carrot in the form of a slim chance to topple Golovkin at middleweight.
Can Brooke still be strong at welterweight? Well history is littered with names that failed in their bid after moving up in weight to come back down to perform at there best. Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones, and Oscar De La Hoya all lost their magic dropping back down so can Brook be different?
And what of Spence?
Well the former US Olympian has done very little wrong in his short professional career and at 27 years is mature and strong. The slick southpaw with the solid punch is coming off good KO wins over Chris Algeria and the tough Leonard Bundu to earn his poll position as challenger. It’s an intriguing matchup between two excellent boxers that is splitting opinion between the experts. I’ve got to question what Kell Brook has had to put his body through over recent years as well as the doubts that might creep in during a tough fight, as this is sure to be.
Can Brook dig deep one more time or will the ‘truth’ finally come out?